Method of dyeing hair



Patented July 23, 1940 UNITED STATE Sh PATENT OFFICE.

2,208,594 METHOD OF nynmensm John w. Orelup, Short Hills; N. J.

No Drawing. Application March .12, 193 8, I Serial No. 195,539

8 Claims. (Cl. 167-88) use of colored sulphides and other compounds 10 of metallic salts. The methods which can be emplayed for application of these two classes of substances'are very sharply modified by the fact that both classes are toxic.' Accordingly, application "of these compounds 5y dflieTtl'iiii srmed oper l5 ators is accompanied with considerable risk of, injury to the person to whom the preparation is applied andeve'n though greatest care is used 'in the application of these preparations to the hair, it is often impossible to avoid injurious go effects. 1

It is known that application of dyes of the acidic type or direct or substantive typeto the hair is unavailing to dye the hair. I have found, however, that by using flxatives which I have dis- :5 covered I can cause the hair to accept such dyes with excellent results. My investigations have shown that certain condensation products of polyamines with open chain fatty acid residues are peculiarly effective to act as fixatives and to .-go cause the hairto accept ordinary textile dyes.

' 01' the polyamines I prefer to use aliphatic amines such as the ethylene, propylene, butylene, anrvlene polyamines, and their alkylatedderivatives, such as the dimethyl or diethyl derivatives.

5 The diamines, triamines, tetramines and pent amines of these compounds of the olefine series I have been found to. be useful. Iv particularly prefer ethylene diamine, diethylene triamine; triethylene tetramine and tetraethylene pentamine, the diethylene and triethylene compounds being the ones which give optimum results. 7

For the fatty acid chain compounds which are condensed with the above mentioned polyamines I may use fatty acids or fatty acid residues which give a like product having from 6 to 20jcarbon atoms in the chain, preferring the. saturated acids to. the unsaturated. I have found that lauric and myristic acids or cocoanut fatty acids having from 12 to 1 4-carbon atoms inthe chain 50 give optimum results because the condensation products formed therefrotn are very readily soluble, I While thespecflic action of these iixatives is not entirely imderstood at thepresent time, it is 5 knownthatthese condensation products are'cation surface active substances. Since the affinity for hair possessed by these substances is observable, it is therefore believed that one of the efiects of applying these surface active substances with long cation chains to the hair is to change the natural acidic character of the hair sameness thus enable Q dye.

By employing any suitable non-toxic acid and direct dyes which produce desirable shades. I have been able to produce a complete range of colors which are natural in tints. and which, being non-toxigfiarenon-injurious tothe hair "andscalpr fnxampres' dr hires wlildli giva'smt I do not, however, intend to limit my invention others of generally similar character as nontoxic it is to be understood that the dyes used are to be of such character that,v when applied to the hair in accordance with the directions herein given, they are not injurious to the hair or scalpof the average individual. Of course, particular individuals may be allergic to one or another particular dye or class of dyes; does not, however, make it improper to characterize such a dye as non-toxic. As compared with the highly toxic metallic salts and dyes of the, phenylene diamine type whichhave heretofore been the only classes of .dyes generally available for hair dyeing, the acid and direct dyes which I am able to use by my new process, are non-injurious and substantially non-toxic.

The non-toxicity of the fixatives described has been tested by feeding large amounts of the compounds such as the condensation product of C12 and 014' acids with triethylene tetramine to animals and it has been found that no ill effects were suflered. Likewise, skin patch testson no toxicity or irritahuman beings have shown tion. v

The condensation products of these amines and the fatty acids mentioned can be prepared by known methods; for instance, by preparing the it t6 accept the acidic able shades are:

Dye Color index Durol Black B m7 Direct Fast Brown-M. 42o Alizarine Brown 2R 167 Direct Fast Orange 60.- 621 prepared. This solution is applied to the hair at body temperature for a short period, such as ten minutes. tion of the dyeing solution of one of the above mentioned dyes or of any suitable non-toxic acid or direct dye, depending upon the color desired.

The application of the dye should be continued for a sufficient time to secure the desired color strength, fifteen minutes being a satisfactory time in the majority of cases. The hair is then rinsed with water and the process is complete. The simplicity of the process and the fact that both the intermediate and the dye are non-toxic, make it clear that no expert application is neces-.

sary.

Whlle the above method is useful wherethe fixative is applied in solution, it is also within the scope of this invention that the substances could be applied in solid form, being dispensed as a cake-like mass or in semi-solid form in the nature of a paste. It is also contemplated that the fixative could be applied to the hair in conjunction with a shampoo, the shampoo, of course, being of such character as not to be inimical to the necessary properties of the fixative.

The invention, while peculiarly applicable to the dyeing of human hair on the head is not neces-'- sarily limited to that use. There is broad application for a'dyeing process which is simple and entirely non-toxic in fur dyeing. A particular advantage which arises from applying this method to fur dyeing lies in the elimination of possible future complaints from the users of the-fur arising from skin injuries said to result from the contact of fur with the skin of the wearer where toxic dyes have been used on the fur.

Wherever the term hair is employed in the claims it will be understood to mean hair on the human head or fur.

I claim:

1. The method of dyeing hair which comprises the steps of rendering the hair receptive to nontoxic organic dyes by applying thereto a cation surface active compound comprising an amide of an alkylene polyamine with a higher fatty acid component and subsequently applying a water soluble non-toxic organic dye containing negative salt forming groups.

The hair is then dyed by applica- 2. The method of dyeing hair which comprises the steps of rendering the hair receptive to nontoxic. organic dyes by applying thereto a cation surface active compound comprising an amide of an alkylene polyamine with a higher fatty acid component containing from six to twenty carbon atoms in the chain and subsequently applying a water soluble non-toxic organic dye containing negative salt forming groups.

3. The method of dyeing hair which comprises the steps of rendering the hair receptive to nontoxic organic dyes by applying thereto a cation surface active compound comprising an amide of diethylene triamine with a higher fatty acid component containing from six to twenty carbon atoms in the chain and subsequently applying a water soluble non-toxic organic dye containing negative salt forming groups.

4. The method of dyeing hair which comprises the steps of rendering the hair receptive to nontoxic organic dyes by applying thereto a cation surface active compound comprising an amide of 'triethylene tetramine with a higher fatty acid component containing from six to twenty carbon atoms in the chain and subsequently applying a water soluble non-toxic organic dye containing negative salt forming groups.

5. A composition for pretreatment in the dyeing of human hair with water soluble non-toxic organic dyes containing negative salt forming groups, said composition comprising an amide of an alkylene p'olyamine with ahigher fatty acid component and having the property of rendering the hair receptive to said dyes.

6. A composition for pretreatment in the dyeing of human hair with water soluble non-toxic organic dyes containing negative salt forming groups, said composition comprising an amide of an alkylene polyamine with a higher fatty acid component containing from 6 to 20 carbon atoms in the chain and having the property of rendering the hair receptive to said dyes.

'7. A composition for pretreatment in the dyeing of human hair with water soluble non-toxic organic dyes containing negative salt forming groups, said composition comprising an amide of diethylene triamine with a higher fatty acid component containing from 6 to 20 carbon atoms in. the chain and having the property of rendering the hair receptive to said dyes.

8. A composition for pretreatment in the dyeing of human hair with water soluble non-toxic organic dyes containing negative salt forming groups, said composition comprising an amide of triethylene tetramine with a higher fatty acid component containing from 6 to 20 carbon atoms in the chain and having the property of rendering the hair receptive to said dyes.

JOHN W. ORELUP. 

